Trials of Bonds
by Serpent in the Shadows
Summary: UP FOR ADOPTION 'You two need to learn not to live in the past. Let it help shape you, let it teach you, but not define you.' Sasuke and Kakashi both learn the value of past, present and future bonds and Harry is there to teach them
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Trials of Bonds  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **M/R  
**Pairing: **Harry/Kakashi  
**Warnings: **Slash, cross pairing, immortal creature Harry, AD/AU for both Naruto and Harry Potter  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter, just the plot...oh, and the Spirit Wolves.  
**Summary: **"You two need to learn not to live in the past. Let it help shape you, let  
it teach you, but not define you."  
**Beta: **Pysche

**AN:** Ok, just to settle a few things before this story really gets started. I will **not** write any pairings for the Rookie Nine. I'm against romances for kids no older than twelve or thirteen years old, so don't look for them. There will only be one pairing for this story and that's it. There won't be any real spoilers for _Naruto _beyond the Valley of the End or _Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix._ Harry will be the only one from the Wizarding world in Naruto's world so don't look for others to show up either. Yes, this is **slash!** So if you are against that, don't read. I will not post any hard lemons here...when I get to that point, I will post the lemon on my LJ **only,** and warn you ahead of time. I think that is it but if you have any questions, feel free to PM me or leave it in a review. I'll answer it if and only if it doesn't give away the plot. Enjoy!

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He watched and he waited. 

Sitting among the trees, hidden from view, he had to keep reminding himself that it wasn't his place to interfere with the vicious fight going on down below - a fight that turned deadly when the Kyuubi's chakra came out to play.

This was not something he could stop, no matter how much he would like too. His future charge had to fight his own battles and if he survived this then, and only then, would he approach the boy.

His body tensed and his green eyes narrowed when the foul, snake induced chakra made itself known. But that was the only movement he made even though his heart began to beat rapidly with every onslaught of emotion he felt coming from his charge, hitting him like a sledgehammer.

_Pain, pride, hurt, longing, vengeance, darkness, bitterness..._

He felt for the boy, having gone through some of the same things but even he couldn't fix everything. No, his only job was to insure that once their spirits had bonded that the other stayed alive in order to fix his own self.

Only then would the boy truly live.

Something he knew all too well.

His own life never truly began either until the day his body died - at least that's what he thinks happened. The Spirit inside him had no true answers to give him and since he couldn't return back to his own dimension to check, it would remain a mystery - but one he never really dwelled on. Besides, he had served his purpose, Voldimort was dead by his own hands...or teeth rather, so he could really care less.

Besides, despite the violent nature of the Elemental Countries, Harry lead a rather peaceful life and he was surprisingly happy here.

He never fought unless he had no choice. He stayed out of the human ninja's affairs and he even had met his mate.

All in all, everything was good. Of course, the future...well, no one ever really knew about that, did they? Not even immortal Spirit Wolves couldn't predict what would happen.

A surge of two powerful chakras building up snapped him out of his internal monolog and he set his sights on the two deadly jutsus that raged towards each other. He knew then, that this would decide the fate of his charge.

'_Valley of the End_, _fitting name really,'_ Harry mused to himself as he watched the two collide. But endings could be a good thing too, it just depended on one's point of view.

With a sigh, he watched the orange clad body fall to the ground below and even as his own body shifted and took on his now natural form, Harry never took his eyes off of the two.

The rain suddenly began to fall, washing some of the evidence of the battle away. It soaked his own fur, but he never felt it or the coldness as he stood still on the tree branch he had been occupying for awhile now, before he jumped, landing on the ground silently on all four of his paws.

Calmly, he looked through the brush line as the dark haired boy stumbled off, away from the one he had almost killed. Just as he was about to make his move, a human and summon scent assaulted his senses, making him pause.

Sure that he would remain undetected by the silver haired ninja, he looked on as the Son of the White Fang and the small dog kneeled down beside the jailer of the Kyuubi. He shook his head, ears flat against his head as he made his way around the three, keeping out of the range of the journin and his faithful summon.

'_Too late for regrets Kakashi,' _the pitch black wolf thought as he quietly made his way down the path. '_But not too late to do what you should have done twelve years ago.'_

Breaking into a lope, he padded his way down the barely used wood covered trail til he caught sight of the one he had been looking for. Shifting back into his human form, his black calf length trench coat now shielding him form the pouring rain that continued to fall, he knelt down beside the crumpled, barely conscious figure.

Battered, bruised, and exhausted, Harry was internally pleased that the boy could still crack at least one dark eye open to glare at him in suspicion and wariness. With a smirk, the immortal gazed down at his soon to be charge.

"Uchiha Sasuke, you are going to be a pain in my ass."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title: **Trials of Bonds  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **M/R  
**Pairing: **Harry/Kakashi  
**Warnings: **Slash, cross pairing, immortal creature Harry, AD/AU for both Naruto and Harry Potter  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter, just the plot...oh, and the Spirit Wolves.  
**Summary: **"You two need to learn not to live in the past. Let it help shape you, let  
it teach you, but not define you."  
**Beta: **Pysche

* * *

Harry was sure that had Sasuke been able to, he would have tried to kick his ass. But since the boy could do nothing but lay there, he chose the option of glowering instead. Harry's smirk just widened into a cheeky grin.

"What.." Sasuke stopped, seemingly swallowed, probably to force back some blood before he opened his mouth and began again. "_What_ are you?"

"Ooh, very good. Could it be that you are the genius that everyone claims you to be?"

The Uchiha's glare increased ten fold.

Chuckling, Harry just waved him off. "We can get to that later, after I've gotten you away from here."

"I'm not going anywhere with you," the boy scowled even as he tried to get up off the rain soaked ground. "I need to gain the power that was offered to me so I can kill him!" he growled furiously, but Harry just stared at him dispassionately.

Slowly, the immortal stood up and if Harry wasn't what he was then he probably wouldn't have noticed the barely audible gasp coming from the boy. Mentally he grinned, knowing that the way his eyes looked right now had startled his future charge. After all, it's not everyday you come across someone with solid black eyes - no pupils, no whites - even in the ninja world. But at the moment he didn't care for his whole self was concentrating on the figure standing beside the boy.

Her jet black hair and dark eyes had lost their shine but Harry could easily tell it had once been there and that the woman was beautiful. He watched with a frown as the woman shook her head - fast and shaky-like - as she gazed pleadingly between himself and the hurt boy.

"Oh? Apparently, the dead say otherwise." Blinking, Harry let his eyes shift back to the haunting green he had been granted with since birth and nodded at the now frighteningly pale child.

"_What?_"

"Later, I'll answer your questions. But at the moment we need to leave and tend to those wounds of your's."

That seemed to bring some color and purpose back into Sasuke for he snarled out, "I didn't come all this way to get taken back now! I defeated Naruto and I can defeat you if I have to." Again, he continued to try to stand.

Harry snorted, amused. "I'd like to see you try or anyone else for that matter...eh, Kabuto?"

The young boy's head whipped around, a look of surprise on his face before it was quickly covered up just as the silver-haired Sound ninja stepped out from the brush.

"It seems," the interloper pushed his glasses further up his nose, making Harry once again thankful that his _merging_ had fixed his eyesight. That was one thing he didn't miss. "That you have me at a disadvantage."

Shrugging his shoulders, not caring, he activated his 'sight' once again. "I have many names, but you can call me Kouken, Yakushi Kabuto, traitor of the Leaf, right hand man of the traitor sannin Orochimaru of the Leaf, spy and adapt in medic ninjutsu."

"Your information is surprisingly accurate."

"Yes," Harry nodded, ignoring the child's narrowed gaze that seemed to be locked on him. "Like you, I like to know everything I can on my enemies."

Kabuto chuckled, smiling condescendingly. "Are we enemies, _Kouken-san_? We've never met before."

"Maybe, maybe not." He shrugged his shoulders, "But, I tend to keep up with psychotic men who have an unhealthy and unnatural love of snakes and immortality."

"Besides," Harry snarled, black eyes narrowing. "Anyone who thinks they can steal the body of _my _charge has me as an enemy. So tell your boss that from now on Sasuke is no longer an option for him."

Kabuto's body tensed, "Orochimaru-sama is-"

"_Orochimaru-sama,_" he mocked as he began to call upon one of the few powers he had now, "Can kiss my ass. I've already killed one snake-loving, immortal-seeking freak, and I won't hesitate to do it again if he should so much as touch one hair on Sasuke's head."

In the blink of an eye, before anyone else really knew what was happening, Harry shifted, his black wolf form turned towards his charge even as the thick shadows sprung to life from the brush around them, wrapping around the Sound ninja like a dark, solid vine, keeping the man immobile, unable to attack.

Harry could smell the fear rolling off of Sasuke even though the boy tried to hold his face and body in an uncaring way even as he closed in on the younger one, jaws open and black fangs shining oddly in the small light that escaped the dark clouds and trees. If he could, Harry would have rolled his eyes but instead settled on just crouching down and crawling forward til his muzzle was pushing against Sasuke's tense body.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke hissed as he tried unsuccessfully to push the large furry body off of him.

Harry's huff of annoyance came out more like a hard pant. If he didn't know that the boy's weapons pouch was empty, he might have been slightly worried, but at the moment he was more frustrated than anything. He was in a hurry for he knew he would not be able to hold the shadows for much longer and his soon to be charge was being a pain and not co-operating like a good little cub should.

Fed up, Harry pushed hard under the other's body, causing Sasuke's hands to tighten uncontrollably in his thick fur. Using this to his advantage, he pushed a bit harder, ignoring the grunt of pain that sounded in his ears and lifted, making sure to twist his body in a way that made the cub's form mold better to his back before taking off through the woods.

Luckily, Sasuke seemed to realize that it was better to hold on then be dragged around, that or he figured that Harry wouldn't give up if he tried to get away. Either way, Harry relaxed his body a little when he felt the cub shift his own human body better to lay against his own and tighten his hold on the wolf's fur. Unable to communicate mind to mind - for the bonding hadn't been completed yet - Harry let his happiness come out in a high pitched yip and bounded away faster, but still mindful of the precious burden that clung to him.

**

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**

**Kouken - Guardian**

**AN:** Yes, Harry is OOC, there are reasons for this though which will be explained later. Also, someone suggested other pairings, namely one with Iruka. The answer to that is no, there really won't be any other pairings and as for Iruka, well, he really won't be in this story since it revolves around mainly Kakashi, Sasuke and Harry. While Team 7 will be in it, they are not the focal point.

Next chapter will bring Kakashi into the mix.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title: **Trials of Bonds  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **M/R  
**Pairing: **Harry/Kakashi  
**Warnings: **Slash, cross pairing, immortal creature Harry, AD/AU for both Naruto and Harry Potter  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter, just the plot...oh, and the Spirit Wolves.  
**Summary: **"You two need to learn not to live in the past. Let it help shape you, let  
it teach you, but not define you."  
**Beta: **Pysche

_**AN: **_The following I took from bits and pieces of Native American Indian culture and twisted it to suit my needs. The God names _are_ real but they come from different Indian Tribes. The 'background' though is totally made up.

_**Italics that begin with a date are flashbacks**_

* * *

****

_December 23__rd__ - 7__th__ year Hogwarts_

_-Myth of the Spirit Wolves_

_There isn't much known about these creatures and most believe they don't even exist. The Native American are the only ones that have any reference and believe in these so called creatures._

_The tale states that at the time of creation, Sacred Earth Mother feared for her People. In order to insure their survival, she stole some of the Black-God's Darkness and the Shakura's Light, shaping them into the very first pair_ _wolves. One that rivaled the God of Night Sky's own blackness with pitch black eyes, fur and teeth and the other that nearly shone as bright as the Sun God, bright white fur, eyes and teeth. The Sacred Earth Mother sent them out together with the instructions to guard her Children._

_Indian lore goes on to say that these wolves were often seen in the company of children, ones that would later become important people such as chiefs and medicine men, leaving the People to begin worshiping them as Great Guardian Spirits - their weaker counterparts (normal wolves) became the People's brothers in reverence. They were given the names of Black Fang (for its teeth) and White Fang._

_When the White Man began forcing the People out of their lands, it is said that White Fang became depressed and ashamed at the way they were treated. Unable to do anything to stop it, White Fang disappeared, never to be seen again, leaving Black Fang alone to watch the end of the People. _

_To this day, the few Native American that are still around pass along this tale. They tell their children to listen to the howls of the wolves for one of them might be Black Fang calling for his brother and take heart that he is still around for one day he too will leave and seek out the one that was made to be his opposite and equal, White Fang._-

_Harry sighed as he closed the book with a snap, disappointed that there hadn't been anything else on his animagus form other than a few paragraphs of lore._

"_Well?"_

_Looking up into the curious eyes of his female best friend, Harry shook his head with a frown. They had both decided_ _to use the Room of Requirement to do their research on their animal forms, unwilling to let anyone know yet that they had completed them. All three of the Golden Trio knew that it was illegal but they also knew that any thing could and probably would be used to its full advantage against Voldemort when the time came._

_Plus it gave Ron the excuse to play around in his Spider Monkey form (something that Hermione thought was absolutely adorable and Harry hilarious) to get out of doing any and all book reading that his girlfriend insisted on._

"_Nothing but an old American Indian myth. Doesn't even state what they could do. I know it's magical, 'cause I can feel it when I change."_

"_Well, maybe its not a Spirit Wolf after all. I mean, we know its not a normal wolf. One, you're way too big. Two, you don't even look like one with the whole eyes and teeth thing. Maybe it's another type of Magical Wolf?"_

"_No," Harry stated as he watched Monkey-Ron pick at his fur looking for bugs. He snickered quietly before looking back at his still human friend to see her trying to hold back her own laughter. "I felt something else there with me when I transformed, but only then. Something old and it's clearly saying that it's a Spirit Wolf."_

"_But..."_

"_I'm sure Hermione. I know it's crazy but I know that's what it really is. And no, it isn't Voldemort I'm hearing. But don't worry," he smiled at her as he leaned over the small table and the books that were piled up on it and took her hand into his. "I think I know how to find out everything I need to know."_

"_How? It's not in any book here in Hogwarts."_

"_Simple. I transform and talk to it."_

**oOOoOOo**

If anyone was really paying attention to Kakashi at that moment they would have thought that he didn't have a care in the world - that he didn't care that his student was injured - since he was standing in a lone corner of the hospital with his favorite little porn book open in his hand. No one could see his eyes but they weren't taking in the others that sat huddled around one another as they waited on word about Neji, Naruto and Chouji. But as it were, Kakashi's eyes might have looked like they were glued to the naughty writing but that was ok, that was what he wanted them to think. It was better this way.

Let them think he didn't care - didn't care that he taught one of the favored sons of Konohagakure the jutsu that did this to his own sensei's own son. This was easier than letting them see the one thing he did better than being the 'Copy-nin'...

Wallowing in guilt.

Although he never showed it, for it was hidden behind not only a face mask but also an impenetrable emotional shield that he started building when his father killed himself. Sure the facade had changed over the years - from the perfect rule abiding ninja to the porn reading, late excuse, 'hip' attitude he perfected after Obito's death - but the wall was still there.

What happened to Naruto though was his fault and he knew this. Not only did he teach Sasuke his own Chidori, he neglected Naruto in more ways than one.

To everyone else it would be obvious what he meant by this but to Kakashi it went much deeper and longer, for now he knew he should have listened to _him_ twelve years ago when he was told, begged and yelled at to do his duty to the newborn baby that had just lost his father to the demon he now carried within him.

If he had just done what he was _born_ to do then he might have been able to save Naruto from not only Sasuke but also just about everything else the boy had to put up with over the years. But no, he had to deny everything...his birthright, his destiny, his _mate_...all so he wouldn't have to face _them_.

And because of the guilt and the fear of what he would see and hear, he let one person suffer and the other one down.

With an inaudible sigh, he quickly checked to make no one was looking his way before pushing up the hitai-ate that covered his eye to briefly rub them both. As he snapped the book closed with one hand, he replaced the band over his eye once again before he pushed himself off the wall and headed towards the door.

He would visit Naruto later when there weren't that many people around. Right now though, he had a Memorial Stone to go visit.

* * *

**Black-God (Navajo) - **Space God of Night Sky Nothingness

**Shakura (Pawnee) - **Sun God


	4. Chapter 4

**Title: **Trials of Bonds  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **M/R  
**Pairing: **Harry/Kakashi  
**Warnings: **Slash, cross pairing, immortal creature Harry, AD/AU for both Naruto and Harry Potter  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter, just the plot...oh, and the Spirit Wolves.  
**Summary: **"You two need to learn not to live in the past. Let it help shape you, let it teach you, but not define you."  
**Beta: **Pysche

**Chapter 4**

"What are you planning on doing with me?"

_Well I'm impressed, _Harry thought as he added a bit more kindling to the small fire he had built on the floor of the cave. _He lasted a whole thirty minutes before he cracked. _"Who says I have anything planned?" A low growl was heard that caused Harry to smirk in amusement.

"You said you would answer my questions later. Is it not later now?"

With a sigh, Harry sat down on the cave floor and looked over to Sasuke. "Very well. First off, my name now is Kouken. I adopted it when I came here so I would fit in better. But my name before was Harry. You may call me either." He paused for a moment letting his eyes trail over the still dirty, blood stained body of the young boy that was leaning against the stone wall.

"I come from a war torn world in another dimension. It was there that I realized that I had been joined by a being called a Spirit Wolf. But because of my magic - that's sort of like your chakra - it came out as my animagus form - and that's the ability that some of my people possess. It grants the user the ability to turn into our so called 'inner animal' but we keep our human minds."

He paused again and stood up, taking off his trench coat in the process, leaving him in a pair of black pants much like the ninjas wear and a plain black t-shirt. Walking over to the boy, he couldn't help but frown as the young body tensed. "Relax Sasuke. I wouldn't and couldn't hurt you. It's my duty to protect you, not harm you. And speaking of which," he said as he knelt down and gently covered his charge with his coat, earning him a nasty glare and a slight, but fruitless, struggle. "I noticed you were shaking. Guess those wet clothes aren't helping even with the fire."

"Anyway, where was I?" he asked himself as he sat down, this time beside the boy just to make sure his coat wasn't thrown off in a childish act of rebellion. "OH! So, me and my wolf remained two separate um...well people. But I did learn a great deal."

_Harry wasn't exactly sure what he was expecting to see and while he had some vague idea, it didn't come close to the real thing now that he finally got a chance to look at the creature that was sharing his body. They both stood facing each other, calmly, sizing each other up it seemed. The faded background of endless tall grasses swaying in an unseen breeze was lost to him for he couldn't focus on anything else but the inky black wolf._

_Both of his friends told him what his animagus form had looked like and while he knew neither one of them would have lied to him, he couldn't help but think they had over exaggerated the details and without a mirror to look in, all he had to go on was their descriptions. But now he could tell everything they had said was the truth._

_Its fur was so black that it seemed to swallow all light; no other colors were reflected. Long legs gave the beast added height - making the giant head come up to his chest. It was impressive even if he wasn't but five foot nine - and speed. Powerful muscles were centered around his chest and flanks, enabling it to take down prey easily. But the most interesting thing had to be its solid black eyes and fangs._

_This creature was dangerous yet Harry could tell it could be as gentle as a lamb to the right people and Harry felt more comfortable in its presence than he did his own skin._

"_So, you came. Good. I have much to tell you."_

_The voice was rough and deep as it carried through the air like normal speech did even though Harry never saw the wolf's lips move. _

"_First off, I will not harm you. If I did, then it would be like harming myself." Harry started to open his mouth to ask a question, but the wolf cut him off. "As the People died, and they started to forget the Old Ways, my body began to die but my spirit couldn't. So, I wandered around looking for someone that I could pass my knowledge and powers onto. I have but one job left to do, and that is why I need you."_

"_Your brother?" Harry asked, remembering the small bit of information he had learned._

_The wolf nodded his head, "Yes. I know he is not here for I would have felt him, and by 'here' I mean on this planet. And this is why I had hoped you would come here to speak to me."_

"_Alright, the least I can do is listen." Harry felt the wolf smile even if his eyes couldn't see it._

"_Thank you. Now for my offer," the wolf paused for a bit, and Harry met its gaze unflinchingly. "I will help you learn how to control my power, it isn't much, but I assume you would be willing to learn every bit you can in order to help you defeat your enemy. In return for this, and allowing me to remain here - within you - when you die, whether it be of old age or not, I ask that you merge with me - you become a Spirit Wolf - and find my brother."_

_Harry didn't answer right away, he needed all the facts before he would commit. While he didn't mind helping find the other Spirit Wolf, he didn't know if he really wanted to become one. "What kind of powers? The legend only said that they believed that you looked after children that were destined for something."_

"_That is true. We knew a person's destiny once we looked upon them. Not in 'we see the future' way, but more like a 'feeling' of greatness. Once we found them, we bonded with them and stayed with them, becoming their guardians til they were old and mature enough to be on their own."_

"_Babysitters," Harry mumbled, and the wolf laughed._

"_Yes, I guess you could see it like that. Now as for my powers, you can control the shadows for a short period of time. You can make them do whatever it is you wish or need - hold someone down, impale them, carry them - what they can do is limitless, but your time is not. We can also see and communicate with the dead."_

"_R-really?" Harry couldn't help but ask, a small bit of hope settled in his heart at the thought of seeing Sirius and his parents. He didn't think about the consequences, just the fact that he could see his family._

_The wolf must have known or sensed what he was thinking for it walked over to him, nudging him with its muzzle, black eyes peering at him in understanding. "Yes, if they haven't moved on, we can see them."_

"Of course I accepted, but it wasn't until much later and not for that reason. I realized that we had become friends and through our talks, he helped me see things more clearly and had an enormous about of patience when it came to me and dealing with my teenage angst. I felt I owed him and wanted to return the favor."

Harry looked over and was mildly surprised to see Sasuke looking at him. He had figured the boy would have - at the very least - glared at the far wall instead of focusing on him.

"What's my 'greatness'?"

Harry smiled, not at all surprised that Sasuke had put two and two together. "Not sure, it doesn't really work that way. I know you are going to be important in the years to come and that's all, and its my job to make sure that you don't get yourself killed along the way. But, I will not fight your battles for you," Harry said, giving him a knowing look. "So don't do anything stupid like going after your brother or Orochimaru.."

"But -"

"No buts, Pup. You must get older, stronger and wiser before you can even attempt to go after Itachi. And the only safe and sure way of doing that is by returning to your village."

Sasuke scowled, crossing his arms over his chest, but didn't say anything and Harry figured that was a good sign. They sat there in a relaxed silence for a small time and Harry figured the boy had fallen asleep, but that was proved otherwise when his charge asked a question.

"Did you ever find his brother?"

He smiled softly, though Sasuke couldn't see it. "Yes, I met him the day he was born, which was just a few days after I arrived in this dimension."


	5. Chapter 5

**Title: **Trials of Bonds  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **M/R  
**Pairing: **Harry/Kakashi  
**Warnings: **Slash, cross pairing, immortal creature Harry, AD/AU for both Naruto and Harry Potter  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter, just the plot...oh, and the Spirit Wolves.  
**Summary: **"You two need to learn not to live in the past. Let it help shape you, let  
it teach you, but not define you."  
**Beta: **Pysche

_-Flashback-_

_Harry stumbled over a root as he continued to try and get his bearings. He had been slightly off kilter since he had awoken in a field of grass, wind whipping around him, tussling his fur. Disoriented, drained, and weak, he couldn't find the power to draw up any magic, and that included the spell to transform out of his animagus form._

_According the rise and fall of the sun, he knew he had been slowly traveling over three days now and he was very surprised that he hadn't felt the need to eat or even find water. He didn't question it though, too much, since he didn't think he had the strength or the stomach to hunt something and feast off of raw flesh. _

_One thing that did worry him though was the fact that this place smelled nothing like home. There wasn't the tingle of magic in the air that he had grown accustomed to when in this form and if all possible, the air smelled even cleaner than what was around Hogwarts. _

_He had tried more than once, since he awoke, to contact the Spirit that had been a part of him for a few years now but there had been no response and that made him ill at ease. _

_It also made him wonder just what the hell happened in the aftermath of finally killing his lifelong enemy._

_He knew for a fact that Voldemort was dead, he could clearly remembering running the man through with his sword - and that the last Horcrux was gone...and then?_

"You died."

_Harry stumbled again, but not because of a tree root. It was the voice in his head, the one he had been trying to contact that had caused him to lose his footing._

"Spirit?" _He asked as he sat down on his haunches. Something was telling him that he wasn't going to like this._

"You died," _it repeated once again_. "A curse was sent your way, from behind, so I do not know what kind, only that it took your life".

"Then how?"

"Are you still alive?" _Harry gave the Spirit a mental nod of his head, _"You're not, not really. I merged with you as per our agreement. You are now as I was, a Spirit Wolf."

_Harry hung his head low, his black eyes closing as he took in what the Spirit was telling him. He had remembered their agreement, he had just been picturing it happening when he was old and gray, ready to leave the Earth after everyone else he had known was dead. He hadn't been expecting it now, at the age of twenty-five._

_How many people had he left? How many friends had lived through the battle only to find him dead? Would they find him dead or had he just disappeared into 'thin air'? He voiced these questions to the Spirit, but he received nothing in reply. _

_He wasn't sure how long he had sat there, under one of trees that littered the land around him. He had wondered through grasslands into a vast forest just yesterday and had yet to see any signs of human life. _"Where are we?"

_There was a pause, and Harry got the feeling the Wolf was trying to come up with an answer himself. "_I don't know. Something just pulled us her-"

_His words were cut off as Harry whipped his head around at the sound of a howl. It was long and piercing but it wasn't lonely sounding. It sounded joyous, like a celebration. Harry found himself responding back, his own howl rushing through the thick tree branches. _

_Heaving himself up on all fours, Harry found that he wanted to find the other wolf, join in on its happy occasion, if only to lift his own spirits just for a little while. The Spirit was silent, but Harry could feel its desire also as he ran, zig zagging his way through the twisted forest - his energy having made a surprising comeback at the thoughts of another wolf in the area. _

_He wasn't sure how long or how far he ran, but when he broke through the tree line, the light from a nearly full moon bathed the grass in its light, turning the natural green into a shimmering blue. There was another howl, and Harry stopped, his breath coming out in hard pants. Black eyes scanned the area, finding nothing til he spotted a lone human figure standing on a small ridge. _

_Cautiously, he sniffed the air, unsure what to do now that he was here. He had been looking for a wolf, not a human. He howled again, the tone mimicking his confusion and to his surprise, it was the human who answered him back - only now did Harry recognize that it was more human sounding than his own. _

_From inside him, the Spirit was radiating joy and he couldn't help but wag his tail in the infectious feeling. With long loping strides, he bounded towards the human til they were only a few feet from each other. Harry could only stare at the male human with his white hair and commanding presence. He couldn't feel anything remotely similar to himself in this human so he sniffed again. _

_It was there - faint, small and weak - but there nevertheless. _

"So, the family legends are true. Black Fang does exist."

_Harry could only nod his giant wolf head in response. He hadn't figured out how to do anything else in this form yet and he wasn't sure if he even had the energy to try. But he was surprised that this person knew who - what - he was. _

_Something let out a small whimper and Harry's ears perked forward at the sound, just now noticing the tiny, clothed wrapped bundle the man held in his arms. He took a step forward, wanting to see what had made the noise, but stopped himself, afraid that the man would see him as something harmful. _

_There was a rich chuckle, _"Come forward, Black Fang, I do not fear you. He is after all, what you've been searching for, I believe."

_Harry, like many times before, was totally clueless now, but the Spirit inside him was all but outright forcing him to move and do as the man said. There was just something about that small bundle that called to both of them and when it whimpered again, Harry had given up on being calm and cautious and all but sprang forward to look at what the now kneeling man was holding. _

_The human carefully pulled back the light colored cloth and Harry's black eyes opened wide when he spied the tiny human baby cradled in them. _

"His name is Hatake, Kakashi; my son. And as with our Blood Line, he now holds the Spirit of White Fang." _Harry took in the words as he just continued to look at the baby. It was so tiny, so new. _"The Hatake family has been host to the White Fang for many generations. We are taught the stories at a very young age, and we take up the Old Ways of Guardians."

_When the man stopped talking, Harry gave in to temptation and pressed his snout to the baby, inhaling the sweet scene of new life. His cold nose, and breaths of air against soft skin, awoke the baby and Harry stared into little black eyes. _

_This baby was his, he knew this instinctually as did his Spirit. Both of them just looked on in wonder at the infant that lay nestled in his father's arms. Tiny, still weak arms tried to lift themselves up to grab him, but the effort was too great for someone so new. Harry nuzzled the tiny fist before letting his tongue dart out and lick the inside of the delicate wrist. _

_White light flared, and Harry backed up, afraid he had hurt the baby. It centered around Kakashi's wrist, circling twice before traveling up the child's arm, leaving a small, thin 'rope' of light. As it continued its path, leaving the 'rope' behind, the two lines parted, one going over the left shoulder, the other going around to the baby's back, unseen, before it too went over the right shoulder. They met up in the middle of Kakashi's chest, the two circling something unseen. _

_The suddenly, it flared once again before it died away and Harry watched in wonder and a bit of uneasiness as something dark started to form in the two circles of white light. _

_The human sucked in his breath, his own dark eyes looking between Harry and his son. "_The Mark of the Black Fang."

_And Harry could see what the man was talking about as he gazed at the black silhouette_ _of his own head there on the chest of the baby. _

"But that would mean..."

_Harry quickly backed up, shaking his massive head, cutting the man off. He didn't want to hear the words finished. Confused, upset and scared, Harry tore his eyes away from the child and looked at the human male, ready to turn around and run even if the human had a look of awe on his face. _

_The Spirit inside him, though, was pushing him to step forward, to get close to his brother once again, now it had found him after so long. But Harry stubbornly pushed it aside, and continued to back up. _

_When the man called out a 'wait', Harry turned around and bolted down the slope and dashed back into the woods. He ignored the howl the followed him, asking him to come back - because he knew he couldn't, at least not for many years._

_For Black Fang might have found his brother, but Harry had just found his mate in the same newborn. _


	6. Chapter 6

**Title: **Trials of Bonds  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **M/R  
**Pairing: **Harry/Kakashi  
**Warnings: **Slash, cross pairing, immortal creature Harry, AD/AU for both Naruto and Harry Potter  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter, just the plot...oh, and the Spirit Wolves.  
**Summary: **"You two need to learn not to live in the past. Let it help shape you, let  
it teach you, but not define you."  
**Beta: **Pysche

"Okay!" Harry suddenly announced, breaking the lingering silence, causing Sasuke to jump and send a relatively mild glare his way. Ignoring the preteen, Harry fixed Sasuke with a beaming smile. "Let's get us bonded!"

Black eyes widened. "What?"

"Bonded!" He exclaimed again, happy he was throwing the boy off. "How else do you expect me to know where you are at? Or if you are in trouble?"

"But..."

"No buts. You must become my charge and for that to happen, we have to bonded. Besides, it won't hurt..._much._ It's mostly just a pretty light show."

Before Sasuke could make his dispute known again, Harry lunged forward and pulled the startled boy's tattered shirt up and over his head, and carelessly throwing it to the side. Seeing the bruises and lacerations adorning the boy's chest, Harry tsked condescendingly.

"You should know better than to mess with a demon jailor when they are pissed. Especially one as hot headed as Naruto."

Sasuke narrowed his dark eyes. "Demon jailor?"

"Yes. No one from your generation knows about that do they? No, they don't. Stupid law," Harry mumbled more to himself as he eyed some of the worse looking wounds that were now starting to scab over. "There is a pesky law forbidding anyone from speaking of it. So, it's a good thing that I'm not under your Hokage's jurisdiction isn't it?"

They sat there looking at each other in the dim fire light for awhile, and Harry could almost see the gears turning in the boy's head. Probably replaying everything he had ever seen or questioned about his teammate.

"But I thought the Yondaime destroyed it."

"That's what they want you to believe. The truth is that no one can totally kill a demon as powerful as the Tailed Beasts. So the Fourth did the next best thing and sealed it away in a newborn at the cost of his own life." Harry narrowed his own eyes at the boy. "Of course that doesn't mean Naruto should be treated like he is."

At Sasuke's scoff, Harry leaned forward, making sure he had the other's full attention. "He will be important one day. And I pity the ones that do not see that and try to stand in his way."

"The loser? Important?" Sasuke sneered, clearly not believing a word Harry was saying.

"Oh, yes." Harry smirked. "How could he not be when the Gods granted him a guardian of his own?"

Before anything else could be said, Harry shifted into his true form once again. Sasuke eyed the huge black wolf warily, only to yelp as sharp, dark fangs grabbed his wrist and bit into the soft flesh.

Releasing the boy, they both watched as small beams of light erupted from the twin wounds left from Harry's canines. Each light then bent and circled the small wrist twice before they flowed up his arm. Sasuke hissed in pain as the lights began to circle the foul taint at Orochimaru's mark. The lights seemed to increase their speed and Sasuke had to bite down on his tongue to keep from screaming as the mark began to 'boil'.

As the seal kept reacting, parts of the light broke off and continued on their way, one around the back of Sasuke's neck and over his right shoulder while the other swept down the left. Meeting in the middle of the boy's chest, they began to circle one another, a dark image beginning to appear in the middle.

A bright flash and Harry had to close his eyes against the onslaught. When it died down, black eyes opened and the Spirit Wolf inspected the now unconscious boy's new 'tattoos' left behind by the lights, satisfied that everything was okay, and that the foul taint was gone - along with all the wounds he had received during his previous battle.

Gently, Harry used his muzzle to roll the boy over onto his side so his back would be warmed by the fire. Knowing Sasuke would be out of it for awhile, Harry laid his massive body down beside charge, his chest rumbling in contentment when small hands curled in his fur.

**oOOoOOo**

Moonlight illuminated Kakashi's hair as he sat perched in his window facing the village. For once his little book was nowhere to be found and his hands rested casually on his thighs. Still clad in his journin uniform, Kakashi stared unseeingly into the night, his mind locked onto the image of an unconscious Naruto lying in the hospital.

It had taken him a few hours, but he had kept his promise and visited his student once everyone else had left for the day. Most of his time though had been spent standing in the corner of the room, hiding behind his book.

It didn't sit right with him to see the young boy lying so still. Naruto should be up, jumping around, making a right fool of himself instead of this. But he really had no one to blame but himself - he had been the one to take Sasuke under his wing when it went against everything he had been taught. But he just couldn't help Naruto without facing things he didn't want to.

In order to avoid his past, he had to avoid his future and training the last of the Uchiha was a perfect excuse to do so. No one would question his motives after all - who better to teach the last of his clan other than the famous Copycat Ninja? The only one other than Itachi that had the Sharingan?

With a sigh, Kakashi jumped up off the windowsill and made his way towards his bedroom. Walking over to a dark corner, he gave a few looks around to make sure that no one was around - years of training and fighting never once allowing him to be totally relaxed even in his own home - before he quickly released a complicated genjutsu, revealing a small safe imbedded in the wall.

With a few hand signs and the release of a small amount of his chakra, the lock gave a click and the door swung open, allowing the man to see the contents inside. He stood there for a few moments, allowing his eye to gaze at the rather innocent looking materials - a few bills of higher currency, a couple of pictures, and several family jutsu scrolls - before he leaned forward and reached inside past all of this until his fingers rested on another scroll.

Picking it up, he pulled it out, swinging the safe door shut, and then went over to his bed and sat down. Another burst of chakra and the scroll uncurled itself in his hands.

His father's handwriting looked the same as it did when the man had given it to him at the age of five for his birthday. There had been a look of pride on his father's face when the man explained that it would teach him the history of their clan, the secret behind their famous 'white chakra' and the reason why the heads of their clan were called The White Fang.

And he had studied them - as hard as his five year old mind could - memorized the history of White Fang, where it had come from, their destiny and their tasks. But there was one thing he never understood until he was slightly older, and that was the mark of a small black circle with a equally black wolf's head in the center at was located at the end of the scroll's written words.

Kakashi unrolled the paper until he reached the end, his eye staring impassively at the Mark of the Black Fang. It had fascinated him then, and when he had asked his father about it, the man had just smiled and replied '_It is our past and your future, our sorrow and your happiness. You are his, and someday, he will be yours.'_

Placing the scroll on the bed, letting the natural curl of the paper roll itself back up loosely, and raised a hand to the center of his chest. He rubbed the skin through his shirt with his knuckles, his eye closing in remembrance - for it wasn't until the day after his father had killed himself that he had started to understand exactly what his father had meant.


	7. Chapter 7

**Title: **Trials of Bonds  
**Author: **Serpent in the Shadows  
**Rating: **M/R  
**Pairing: **Harry/Kakashi  
**Warnings: **Slash, cross pairing, immortal creature Harry, AD/AU for both Naruto and Harry Potter  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own Naruto or Harry Potter, just the plot...oh, and the Spirit Wolves.  
**Summary: **"You two need to learn not to live in the past. Let it help shape you, let  
it teach you, but not define you."  
**Beta: **Pysche

**AN**: Ok, I couldn't find an age for Kakashi when his father died, so I'm saying he was six. I also couldn't find anything to tell me if Sakumo's teammates lived or not, so I'm going to have at least one of them dead. And thanks to everyone who continues to review!

* * *

_Daylight turned into dark as huge, threatening storm clouds causally rolled across the sky, not yet ready to release their rain. The wind was lazy, barely noticeable except for an occasional shuddering of leaves as it went through the tree branches. _

_But all of this went unnoticed by the small child standing quietly in front of a rather small stone that sat just inches in front of him. The stoic gaze of dark eyes took in the marks that signaled the person whose body it was representing, a silent guardian to a loved one's remains. _

_Six year old Kakashi never moved from his spot that he had found his body automatically had carried him to. He had no desire to be here, yet he couldn't seem to turn away from the unadorned stone. 'Husband, Father, Hero' it said but the child could find no comfort in these simple words. _

_Husband; that word had been lost long ago when his wife had died, leaving him alone to raise a their child._

_Father; Sakumo had been a good one. Always there for him when he needed him with patience in abundance. Kakashi had always looked up to the one the villagers and shinobi alike had called the White Fang. And like any child, he wanted to be just like his father, wanted to make him proud. He studied, he strived to be the best he could be just to see that pleased, proud look that only a father could bestow their child. And he did just that - already at age six, he was set to graduate the academy in just a few weeks. But his father wasn't there to see him, to grant him that smile, to tell him that he was a fine son._

_Hero; that, he was definitely not. No hero of the village would have turned his back on a mission just to save a bunch of team mates. The White Fang was a disgrace to all shinobi everywhere and Kakashi knew this even at his young age. _

_The academy taught each of their students the rules and one was to complete the mission at all costs. His father was a smart man, had been in the ranks of the Leaf Village long enough to have memorized this backwards and forwards and yet, he turned his back on the very thing that makes up the shinobi way of life and because of this, the war had started. _

_Sakumo was shunned by both the civilians and his fellow comrades because of his faulty decision and in turn, Kakashi too was turned away from. The boy could not forgive his father for such an stupid, worthless mistake._

_But he could outdo his father, show the villagers what it really meant to be a Hatake. He would take his father's mistake and turn it into a lesson. _

_His father had found friends in his teammates, had allowed himself to form bonds to people that should have only been there for fighting support and nothing else. Kakashi would not do the same. _

_He could not do the same. _

_Hatake would stand for something again, he would make sure of that. His teammates would be there just for the sake of the mission and if they fell along the way, well then, that would be their fault for not being good enough - he would not let others bring him down._

_A snap of a twig had Kakashi whipping around in a defensive position, having already drawn out one of his kunai. He paused as he took in the area around him, wondering who would have dared to venture into the private graveyard of his family. Dark eyes darted around, coming to rest on an odd shape sitting in the shadow of a large oak tree. _

_He scowled beneath his mask and narrowed his eyes. He knew exactly what was watching him even though he had never once seen laid eyes on it before - he had not even seen his father as the legendary White Fang since his father had told him that it had moved on to him the moment he had been born. But that didn't matter, he knew what black eyes on a wolf meant. _

_Angry and frightened, Kakashi turned his back on the creature and gazed once more at the small stone. He knew the creature couldn't and wouldn't hurt him, so it didn't matter that he had turned his back to it, but it also helped because he wasn't ready for this. _

_He should have remembered that the Black Fang would have come to him now, when his father wasn't around to still take up charges. That fell to him now, but he would be damned if he did something like looking after other people - not when he had just vowed to keep others out of his life. _

_Of course, if he was truthful with himself, he would admit that that was only part of the reason. He had no desire to see the souls of the dead - possibly his own father - right now, if ever. They would hold too many reminders. _

_Kakashi stiffened when he felt soft fur brush his arms. Jaw clenched, Kakashi struggled to keep himself from turning to look at the wolf he had only read and heard stories about. He was curious, that was true, but he forcefully kept the childish feeling away. _

_There was a shift in the air beside him and the feeling of being watched doubled, raising the tiny hairs on the back of his neck. His hand tightened on the kunai he hadn't put away yet as his eyes narrowed. _

"_I am sorry."_

_Kakashi scowled again, not caring if it went unseen behind his blue mask. He refused to answer the other male's soft words. He didn't even acknowledge it with a nod of his head, because really, he didn't care, nor want to hear them. _

_There was a small sigh and then some rustling and Kakashi had to keep himself from jumping back as he suddenly found himself face to face with a man he had been taught about. This time though, he couldn't keep his childish curiosity away. Silently, he took in the long black hair, slightly tanned skin that was covered by a black t-shirt, standard shinobi pants and what looked like a black trench coat. _

_But it was the bright green eyes that attracted his attention the most. There was a lot of emotion behind them - but surprisingly, no pity - just remorse but if it was for his father or him, he didn't know, nor cared to ask. _

"_My name is Harry," the green eyed male offered, but Kakashi just crossed his arms and looked away. "Okay, if that's the way you want to be, then I'll just get on with the reason me coming here."_

_From the corner of his eye, Kakashi watched as the man stood up, towering over his much shorter form. Those green eyes by then had turned totally black and Kakashi found himself wanting to stare into them just to see if he could see the stars that lingered in them, just as the legends told. _

"_Hatake, Kakashi, carrier of the Spirit of the White Fang, it is time for you to take up your position as White Fang, due to your father's death."_

_As the man, Harry, said these words, Kakashi could feel something unknown build up in his chest. It felt as if it was a living thing, like it was sliding beneath his skin, trying to find its way out. He gasped, his unoccupied hand going to his chest, rubbing the exact spot that he knew held the mark of the Black Fang. In that moment, he understood what this man's words were trying to invoke and Kakashi growled out a 'no'. _

_His body shook at his word, and the thing in his chest stilled suddenly as if startled that he had denied it. Harry must have been shocked too because the male's body stood stiff and so still that he looked as if he wasn't real and made of stone. _

"_My father was the White Fang," Kakashi said through gritted teeth, "And that name and everything that it stood for died with him. He chose to die a coward's death, I will not fall to his same fate."_

_Black eyes narrowed and there was a snarl on the man's lips as he leaned over, making sure his face was closer to Kakashi's own. "That man was far from a coward. He did what every single carrier had done before him. And I too would have chosen to kill myself if I had failed to protect one of my own charges!"_

_Kakashi stilled, his heart speeding up, his dark eyes going wide. "What? Charges?"_

"_You didn't know? Sakumo's charge was one of his teammates. He failed to complete the mission because he had to save the life of someone who was destined to be vital to the world. To lose a charge means we failed to do what we were made for, what we are destined for, what we live for!"_

_Harry's breathing came out in harsh pants, and his eyes seemed to swirl like some endless black hole - sucking in all the light._ _Kakashi couldn't help but take a step back from the man and the impressive aura the he was radiating at the moment. There was a dangerous, feral and otherworldly feeling to it and it sent all of the six year old's 'warning' senses screaming._

"_But...what about me?"_

_Harry stiffened before he slowly exhaled - letting his eyes soften slightly. "Don't ever think he didn't love you or wasn't proud of you because he was and probably more than you'll ever know. But you have to understand, when a host accepts the Spirit they become one and suddenly you aren't human anymore and everything you do is dictated by the gods._

"_They gave life to us, they rule us and punish us and the punishment for losing a charge - a person that they picked to carry out their plans - is death of the host. They don't give us a choice_ - _Sakumo didn't have a choice."_

_Kakashi couldn't believe this, couldn't believe that they - he - didn't have a choice, that his life and death were ruled by something that he had never seen. "You're wrong," he said with a shake of his head, "He didn't have to become a host - I don't have to become one."_

_There was a small fleeting smile on Harry's lips and green and white began to seep back into those eyes making them look even more gentle as the man kneeled down in the soft grass, making them both the same height. A tanned hand reached out and Kakashi was determined not to flinch away, but his grip on his kunai became bruising, as it came and rested on his chest. _

"_You are correct that in the end, you have a choice for now, after all, you haven't allowed the Spirit inside you to meld yet. But in the end you won't be able to hold out forever. We each have our own destiny, some are more important than others, and that includes you and me." Something pulsed from Harry's hand, and Kakashi found his own 'pulse' responding back, coming from the black mark that lay in the middle of chest. _

"_The Spirits of both the White Fang and Black Fang will be together again. Maybe not now, maybe not a month or year from now, but we will be side by side like we were before the White Fang left us."_

_Shaking his head again, Kakashi stepped back, bringing his kunai back up in front of him, the deadly sharp end pointing at the kneeling male. "I refuse. I refuse to be my father, I refuse to be a host and most of all, I refuse to be with you."_

_Without turning his back on the man, Kakashi took a bounding leap away, using chakra to make sure he got the required distance to make it to the woods. Landing softly, Kakashi watched for a second - seeing the great black wolf now sitting in the man's place watching him intently - before he turned his back to it and disappeared into the woods. _


	8. Up for adoption

**STORY UP FOR ADOPTION**

I've waited and waited and it seems I've completely lost my muse so I've decided that I should at least try and see if anyone wants to continue this story. If anyone is interested, please tell me _in a review_ why you want it and if possible a few ideas you have for the plot. I'm going to be picky in who gets my story because I refuse to leave it in the hands of someone that can't even be bothered to use a spell check or wants to drown it in sex, etc. Also I'll be checking out any stories you've written to see your style and character development because I believe Trials of Bonds should delve into what makes each character tick.

So if interested, let me know and I'll be contacting you in a week or so via PM or email.

Thanks,

Serpent in the Shadows


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